Eight Children Killed in Shreveport Shooting, Police Say

By Grace Eliza Goodwin

A man identified as the father of seven of the victims killed eight children in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, early Sunday, according to local police. Authorities described the incident as stemming from a domestic disturbance.

The shooting began around 05:00 local time (10:00 GMT). Police stated that the suspect attacked the children at a residence in the Cedar Grove district, then fled in a stolen vehicle. Officers pursued him to Bossier Parish, where they fatally shot him.

Two adult women, including the mother of the children, sustained gunshot wounds and remained in critical condition. A ninth child escaped by jumping from the roof of the home and was hospitalized.

Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Chris Bordelon confirmed during a Sunday news conference that the suspect, Shamar Elkins, was the only individual who fired shots. Elkins had served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from August 2013 to August 2020 as a private first class with no deployments, according to military records. In 2019, he was arrested for discharging a firearm near Caddo Magnet High School and sentenced to 18 months of probation.

Authorities have not publicly stated a motive. Elkins reportedly posted on Facebook on April 9, seeking help to protect his mind from depression, anger, and anxiety, according to family members cited in other reports.

The victims included three boys and five girls, ages 3 to 11, according to the Caddo Parish coroner's office, as reported by CBS News, a BBC US partner. Local police had initially reported the children's ages as ranging from 1 to 14.

The incident unfolded across multiple locations. Police said Elkins first shot one woman at a residence, then proceeded to another site where he shot the children. One victim fled to a nearby home and contacted authorities.

Family members told US media that Elkins and his wife were separating. Elkins's brother-in-law, Troy Brown, who lived with him, told The Washington Post that Elkins became upset after his wife requested a divorce. "After the first argument about the divorce, he acted like he was losing his mind," Brown said.

Crystal Brown, a cousin of one of the wounded women, told the Associated Press that the couple was separating and scheduled to appear in court on Monday. "He murdered his children… he shot his wife," she said.

Officers responded to a home shortly before 06:00 local time and discovered the bodies of the children, Bordelon said. He described the call as "domestic in nature."

This incident marks the deadliest mass shooting in the US since January 2024, when eight people were killed in Joliet, Illinois, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit that tracks gun violence. GVA defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more victims are shot, excluding the suspect.

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it "maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had in Shreveport." He added: "We have hurting families, we have hurting police officers, coroners' personnel. This affects the entire community, so we all mourn with these families."

Local data showed homicides in Shreveport were down year-to-date prior to this incident, according to city records.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry stated he and his wife were "heartbroken over this horrific situation, and we're praying for everyone affected." US House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents Louisiana's Fourth Congressional District, described it as a "heartbreaking tragedy." He said: "We're holding the victims, their families and loved ones, and our Shreveport community close in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time."

Neighbors expressed shock to US media. Mack London, 71, who has lived in the area for decades, told NBC News: "Nothing like this has ever happened on this street."

Mourners gathered at the scene Sunday following the attack.

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